You’ve seen it all over your shopping trolley: chips with more air, cereal boxes with less crunch, and don’t even get us started on toilet paper.
Now it’s come for chocolate.
This week (May 2025), the cost of the couverture chocolate we buy — the premium, organic, fair-trade kind that gives our bars their flavour and integrity — jumped by over 60% overnight. That’s on top of a 40% increase since July (2024), which we’ve been doing our best to absorb (our bar prices only went up $1 in that time).
While global cocoa prices are making headlines, it’s the sharp rise in our ingredient-level costs that’s having the biggest impact. And for a small-batch chocolate maker like me, those changes aren’t just inconvenient — they’re existential.
There were moments in the past year where continuing felt impossible.
The numbers didn’t add up. The costs kept climbing. And as someone making and running the business solo, there were days I genuinely thought: maybe this is it.
We looked at every option:
Raise prices again? Compromise on ingredients? Shut it all down?
None of that sat right. But neither did staying silent or pretending everything was fine. So here’s what we’re doing:
We’ve reduced the size of our solid bars from 100g to 80g, and adjusted pricing across the board to reflect the true cost of continuing to make chocolate that aligns with our values.
🍫 Solid bars (like Fruit & Nut, Cacao Nib & Sea Salt, Peppermint, etc.) → now 80g, priced at $16.50
🍫 Filled bars (like Salted Caramel & Cashew, etc.) → still 100g, now $16.50
🧺 There will also be modest price increases across some of our other products, and a few flavours may be phased out as we refine the range
✅ Still handmade in small batches, still fair-trade couverture, still the same joy in every bite
Earlier this year, I took a step back from the day-to-day and joined the We Are Emersyn Elevate Program — a business program for women founders focused on purpose-led growth.
Through their support, I’ve been able to return to the foundations of my business — and I’ve come away with more clarity, direction, and confidence than ever before.
We’ve been working through the core of it all:
🔍 Clarifying our mission and vision
🧭 Defining the values that guide every decision
🛠️ Rebuilding systems to support sustainable growth
It’s been one of the most grounding, expansive experiences of my journey so far.
This decision — to reduce size, adjust pricing, and stay true to what matters — comes from that place of renewed clarity.
You can read more about what drives us on our About Us page.
A huge thank you to the incredible team at We Are Emersyn — your framework and support have been instrumental.
We’re also working on expanding our product range with treats that are less heavily reliant on chocolate — while still delivering on flavour, fun, and that signature Cheeky spark.
The Crunchy Vanilla Bikkies (now known as Chokkas) were just the beginning. They’re gluten-free, vegan, and fully loaded with joy — and we’re dreaming up more ideas just like them.
Got something you’d love to see us make?
Let us know. We’re all ears (and possibly snacks).
To every one of you who’s supported us — by buying a bar, telling a friend, or simply showing up to market with a smile: thank you.
Running a small business like this isn’t easy. But it’s worth it — because of people like you.
Your support has helped us make hard decisions with integrity.
It’s why we’re still here — chocolate-dusted hands, full hearts, and a little less couverture per bar, but more vision than ever.
With love and gratitude,
Lee Ann
Founder, Maker, and the hands behind Cheeky Cacao
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